Free Under the July Sun by Barbara Jones Page B

wave of panic washed over Cat and tears filled her eyes. She stood helplessly before the woman, wondering what on earth she was going to do now, but after a moment or two the woman spoke again.
    â€˜They aint gorn far, ’cross the common to Roydene Road. Number seventeen.’
    â€˜How do I get there?’
    â€˜Walk! Like I says, just ’cross the common.’ She nodded her head in that direction. ‘Straight over and second on the left. Easy ’nough to find.’
    Cat looked in the direction of the common, and then turned to thank her only to find the woman had begun closing the door. Before she shut it though Cat heard her grumble. ‘Fucking Irish!’
    Shocked, Cat stumbled out of the gate with her bag and headed for the common. The grass was sodden and it wasn’t long before the hem of her skirt was soaked. She hobbled across the uneven ground lugging her bag of clothes.
    The enormity of leaving home and arriving at a stranger’s house to beg for accommodation suddenly hit her. What if she got the cold shoulder from his sister? She had taken for granted that Louis’ letter meant the invite was from both him and his sister, but was it? All manner of doubts now crowded her thoughts filling her with uncertainty about what to do. She continued staggering across the common weighed down by her bag until at last she reached the other side and was able to leave the wet grass.
    When Cat found the house, knocking on the door seemed like a major step to her and she hesitated. But then thoroughly soaked, she had no alternative than to get on with it.
    She knocked on the door and waited. No reply. She knocked again; then heard distant sound of children’s laughter from the back of the house. She rapped a little harder, and then from around the corner of the house a boy of about ten emerged. He had a mop of straw-coloured curly hair, cheeky blue eyes and rather crooked overlapping front teeth.
    â€˜Hello,’ she said, ‘is your mammy in?’
    â€˜No. She’s out.’
    Her heart sank.
    â€˜Is yer mammy Mrs. Eliza Collis?’
    â€˜Yes, I think so. Only everyone calls her, Lize.’
    â€˜When will she be home?’
    â€˜Soon.’
    â€˜Well, can I come in and wait for her? Cat asked.
    â€˜If you want. My nan’s here.’
    â€˜Well, that’s good. Will ye tell her I’m here then?’
    The boy nodded. ‘Yes. But what’s your name?’
    â€˜Miss Delaney.’
    He disappeared around the side of the house and soon Cat heard footsteps approaching the front door. A small woman of about sixty opened the door with the boy close behind her.
    â€˜Yes?’
    â€˜I’m a friend of Louis’,’ Cat explained.
    â€˜Yes?’ she repeated.
    â€˜Well, actually, Louis wrote and said his sister may put me up for a while if I were to come over.’
    â€˜Did ’e?’ She sounded disinterested. ‘Well you’d better come in outa the rain.’ She stood back from the door to allow Cat inside. ‘Shut the door after yerself,’ she said and marched off down the hall.
    Cat called after the woman. ‘Is it all right if I leave my bag here?’
    â€˜â€™Spect so,’ came her distant reply.
    Cat thought she sounded exactly like the woman she had spoken to across the common and just as indifferent, but she had no option other than to put up with the woman’s attitude. She put down her bag and went along the hallway to the kitchen where she discovered the woman had seated herself at the kitchen table and was drinking tea. Cat stood in the middle of the kitchen until the woman looked at her.
    â€˜S’pose you wantacupoftea?’
    Cat hesitated, trying to translate what she had said. ‘Thank you. But don’t go to any trouble on my account.’
    â€˜I won’t. It’sallreadyinthe pot.’ She sniffed and got up to get a cup and saucer from the dresser, but something attracted